A timeline of key events that reflect the major causes of the American Civil War, listed chronologically:

1820 – Missouri Compromise

• Admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

  • This was a contentious issue, as it directly affected the balance of power in the Senate between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions.

• Prohibited slavery north of the 36°30′ latitude line in the Louisiana Territory.

  • This provision sought to prevent the expansion of slavery into new territories acquired from the Louisiana Purchase.

• Temporarily maintained the balance between free and slave states.

  • The compromise was intended to ease tensions, but it ultimately set the stage for future conflicts over slavery's expansion.

1831 – Nat Turner’s Rebellion

• A violent slave uprising in Virginia.

  • Nat Turner, an enslaved preacher, led a rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, resulting in the deaths of white civilians.

• Led to harsher slave laws and increased Southern fears of abolitionism.

  • In response to the rebellion, Southern states enacted stricter laws restricting the rights and movements of enslaved people and free blacks.

1850 – Compromise of 1850 & Fugitive Slave Act

• California admitted as a free state.

  • The admission of California as a free state disrupted the balance in the Senate and fueled debates over the expansion of slavery.

• Stronger Fugitive Slave Law enraged the North.

  • The Fugitive Slave Act made it a federal crime to assist runaway slaves and required law enforcement officials to return them to their owners, angering abolitionists and many Northerners.

• Allowed popular sovereignty in some territories.

  • Popular sovereignty allowed residents of territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, leading to conflicts such as the one in Kansas.

1852 – Uncle Tom’s Cabin Published

• Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel galvanized anti-slavery sentiment in the North.

  • Stowe’s novel depicted the harsh realities of slavery and helped to humanize enslaved people in the eyes of many Northerners.

• Deepened Southern resentment of Northern abolitionism.

  • The novel was widely denounced in the South, where it was seen as an inaccurate and inflammatory portrayal of slavery.

1854 – Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Repealed the Missouri Compromise.

  • The act allowed for the possibility of slavery in territories that had previously been closed to it under the Missouri Compromise.

• Allowed popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska.

  • The act stipulated that the issue of slavery would be decided by a vote of the residents in these territories.

• Led to violence in “Bleeding Kansas.”

  • Pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers rushed to Kansas to influence the vote, leading to violent clashes and widespread chaos.

1857 – Dred Scott Decision

• Supreme Court ruled slaves were not citizens and had no legal rights.

  • The court declared that slaves were property and had no right to sue for their freedom, even if they resided in a free state or territory.

• Declared Congress had no power to ban slavery in the territories.

  • The decision invalidated the Missouri Compromise and further inflamed tensions between the North and South.

• Shocked the North, thrilled the South.

  • Abolitionists and many Northerners were outraged by the decision, while Southerners hailed it as a victory for states' rights and the institution of slavery.

1859 – John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry

• Attempted to start a slave revolt by seizing a federal armory.

  • John Brown, a radical abolitionist, hoped to arm slaves and spark a widespread rebellion against slaveholders.

• Brown became a martyr in the North, a terrorist in the South.

  • Brown's actions were praised by some abolitionists who saw him as a heroic figure, while Southerners viewed him as a dangerous extremist.

• Increased sectional mistrust.

  • The raid heightened fears and suspicions between the North and South, further dividing the nation.

1860 – Election of Abraham Lincoln

• Lincoln opposed the spread of slavery but wasn’t on Southern ballots.

  • Lincoln's election was seen as a victory for anti-slavery forces in the North, but his absence from Southern ballots reflected the deep divisions within the country.

• Southern states saw his election as a direct threat to slavery.

  • Many Southerners believed that Lincoln's administration would seek to undermine or abolish slavery, leading to calls for secession.

1860–1861 – Southern Secession

• South Carolina seceded in December 1860.

  • South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, declaring that it was exercising its right to self-determination.

• Followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.

  • These states shared a common interest in preserving slavery and feared that the federal government would interfere with their rights.

• Formed the Confederate States of America.

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